Sewing machine



Sept. 27, 1932. J. F. GAIL SEWING MACHINE' 6 Sheets-Sheet '1 Original Filed Sept. 21, 1928 W MQWW.

Sept. 27, 1932. j I 1,879,173

SEWING MACHINE Original Filed Sept. 21, 1928 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 27, 1932. J. F. GAIL 1,879,173

I SEWING MACHINE Original Filed Sept. 21, 1928 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 '53 J/in J7 Gaul Sept. 27, 1932. .J, F, GAIL 1,879,173

SEWING MACHINE Original Filed Sept. 21, 1928 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Sept. 27, 1932. J. F. GAIL 1,879,173

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Sept. 27, 1932. J. F. GAIL SEWING MACHINE Original Filed Sept. 21, 1928 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 fail/27%? Vwws Patented Sept. 27, 1932 UNITED STATES JOHN F. GAIL, 0F EVANSTON, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO SIMMONS COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE PATENT OFFII'CEII' SEWING MACHINE Original application. filed September 21, 1928, Serial No. 30?,450. Divided. and this application filed October 25, 1929. Serial No. 402,494.

This application is a division of my copending application, Serial 307,450, filed September 21, 1928, and this application relates particularly to the improved sewing 5 mechanism disclosed herein and in my said co-pending application.

My improved sewing mechanism is herein disclosed as embodied in the quilting machine of my said copending application, which machine is designed for the purpose of making padded side walls for mattress or cushion boxings or the like; but itwill be understood that the features of my invention are not limited to a machine for this specific purpose, such features being obviously adaptable to sewing machines generally. In the disclosed embodiment of my invention, the sewing mechanism is caused to traverse the work during stitching operation while the work remains substantially stationary, but this may, of course, be reversed if desired.

In sewing machines of the chain-stitch type such as herein shown, the mechanism normally operates in such a way that the starting end of the sewing medium or thread projects from the top or needle side of the sewed material. In mattress or cushion boxings such as above referred to, and in other instances, it is objectionable that this starting end of the thread should project from the top side of the work, because of the fact that it is preferable to use the top side as the outside, exposed or visible side of the finished article. By top side of the work, is meant that side which has the finished appearance when stitched, i. e. the side opposite to that in which the stitch loops are formed; Accordingly, it has heretofore been necessary to cut off each of the projecting starting end portions of the thread as close as possible to the surface of the top side of the Work, this operation often resulting in considerable loss due to accidental damage to the work by cutting the same when attempting to cut the thread and being otherwise objectionable, partly becaues of the expense involved for labor.

One of the principal objects of the present 0 invention is, therefore, to provide mechanism which "will automatically cause the starting end of the thread in a series of stitches to project from the lower face of the work, it being understood that the term lower face refers to the face of the work which is remote from the sewing needle, or in other words, the face of the work on which the stitch loops are formed. Another object of the invention is to provide mechanism which constitutes a part of the sewing mechanism and which is actuated through the agency of the sewing mechanism to cause said starting end to project from the lower face of the work. In general, it'is the object of my present invention to provide an improved sewing machine.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be understood by reference to the 7 following specification and accompanying drawings in which I have illustrated a selected embodiment of a sewing machine ineluding one form of my invention.

In the drawings: I

Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing my improved sewing machine in side elevation and associated with certain parts of the quilting machine above referred to. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1, this view being on an enlarged scale and showing onlythe upper part of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1.

'Fig. 3 is a side elevation on an enlarged scale of part of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1, the parts being shown in a changed position.

Fig. 4 is an elevation ofthe opposite side of the mechanism shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of Fig.

Figs. 14 and 15 are diagrammatic illustrations of the operation of certain parts of the mechanism shown in the above described figures, and

Fig. 16 is a sectional illustration of an article of work as sewed together by my improved sewing mechanism.

My improved mechanism consists, genera-lly speaking, of a sewing machine head having an upper arm 25 and a lower arm 26, each of which serves as a housing or support for certain mechanism well known in the art. The sewing machine head is mounted on a base member 27 (Fig. 1) whichis secured in any suitable manner to a table plate 28 which isreciprocably mounted on suitable upright frame members such as 29. The mounting for the plate 28 is best shown in Fig. 2, wherein it can readily be seen that the plate is provided with a central or intermediate depending tongue 30 which fits in a slot or way 31 provided in a top plate 32 which is mounted on the upper ends of the said upright frame members 29. The outer edges of the plate 28 are provided with depending flanges 33, 33 which fit over the outer edges of the said top plate 32 and which receive gibs 34, 34 for slidably retaining the plate 28 on the top of the said top plate 32.

Reciprocating movement is imparted to the plate 28 and parts carried thereby by means of a link 35 which is pivotally connected at one end to the bottom of the plate 28 and at its other end to the upper end of a lever 36. The lever 36 is pivotally mounted, as indicated at 37, on a bracket 38 which is carried by a suitable base 39. The lever 36 is adapted to be rocked on its pivot so as to impart reciprocation to the link 35 and sewing mechanism by cam mechanism which includes a pair of cams 40 and 41. Both of these cams are keyed to a main drive or power shaft 42 so as to be rotated thereby, and operate respectively on rollers 43 and 44 which are carried by a rock arm 45. The rock arm 45 is pivotally mounted, as shown at 46, and at its upper or free end is connected by means of a link 47 to the lever 36. The cams 40 and 41 are so shaped that the rock arm 45 will be positively rocked back and forth so as to effect reciprocation of the sewing machine whereby the latter traverses the work to be stitched.

Suitable mechanism, for instance such as disclosed in my above mentioned co-pending application, is provided for actuating the needle bar 48 and presser foot 49 which are vertically reciprocably mounted in the upper arm 25 of the sewing machine head. Since such mechanism forms nopart of the invention claimed in this application, and since any suitable, well known form of such mechanism may be used, the same is not herein illustrated or described in detail.

The chain-stitch type sewing mechanism shown includes a looper 50 which is secured to the outer end of a shaft 51, the latter being mounted in the lower arm 26 of the sewing machine head and oscillated and reciprocated therein by suitable mechanism well known in the art and therefore not herein shown or described. The needle 52 which is carried by the needle bar 48 and the looper 5O cooperate in a. well known manner to effect the chain type stitching which is shown in detail in Fig. 16. This type of stitching consists of loops 53 which are disposed against the bottom of the sewed material, parts 54 and 55 which extend through the pieces sewed together, and single thread portions 56 which are disposed on the top or outside of the said pieces and which connect the parts 54 and 55 as clearly shown. Partly because of the more pleasing appearance of the line of single thread portions 56 over the appearance of the line of looped portions 53, it is preferable to use the top of the sewed-together pieces for the outside or finish side of the article of which the sewed-together pieces formapart. When this top side is exposed to view, it is, of course, desirable to remove the starting end of the thread, which, in the case of the usual chain-stitch sewing mechanism, projects from such top side. As above noted, removal of such starting ends requires considerable labor and involves considerable expense, both for the cost of labor and for damaged goods which are incident to the hand method of cutting away the said starting ends. I succesfully overcome the disadvantages of the manual i method of removing the starting ends by providing mechanism for catching the first loop as it is formed on the loop bar, and, in effect, stealing the loop away from the loop bar so that the first stitch is not completed. The

means for catching the first-formed loop is such that it is effective to pull the starting end of the thread through the piece sewed, thereby causing such starting end to project from the bottom side of the sewed pieces.

The loop-catchin mechanism consists of a hook member 5( which is oscillatably mounted on a stub shaft 58 carried by the arm 26 of the sewing machine. The hook 57 is so mounted on the shaft 58 through the agency of an arm 59 which is provided with a bearing aperture 60 fitting over the said stub shaft. The outer end of the arm 59 is provided with a portion 61 which is shaped to receive adjustably, an end piece 62 to which the hook 57 is adjustably secured. The end piece 62 is adjustably mounted on the end 61 of the arm 59 by means of a screw 63 which constitutes a pivot about which the end piece 62 may be swung. A locking screw 64 serves to lock the end piece 62 in the desired position of adjustment, and an adjusting nut 65, having an eccentrically bored collar portion 66 which fits in the aperture 67 of the end piece, serves to adjust the end piece as iii) desired. The hook 57 is similarly adjustably mounted on the end of the end piece 62 by means of a pivot screw 68, an adjusting nut 69 and a locking screw 70. It will be understood that the outer end of the hook 57 is adj ustable laterally with respect to the position of the needle 52 and looper 50, andalso radially with respect to the axis of the oscillating shaft 51.

The arm 59 is provided with a pair of laterally projecting spaced ear portions 71 and 72, between which a lever 73 is pivotally mounted intermediate its ends. The upper end of the lever is preferably bent over as shown at 74 to provide a surface adapted to be engaged by a cam 75 which is carried by the said oscillating and reciprocating shaft 51. A spring 7 6 which is stretched between the lower end of the lever 73 and a pin carried by the arm 59 serves to normally swing the upper or bent end of the lever 7 8 outwardly out of alignment with the cam 75, as shown in Fig. 3. The arm 59 is also provided with a projectinglug7 7 which is connected by means of a tension spring 78 to a pin 79, which pin is supported in fixed position by means of an arm which is secured to and depends from the lower arm 26 of the sewing-machine head. The spring 78 yieldingly retains the arm59 and hook 57 in up or inoperative position, as

shown in Figure 6. The arm 59 isralso provided with a laterally extending lug 80 which receives an adjustable stop screw 81, the latter being adapted to engage a stop pin 82 which is carried by the sewing machine arm 26.

When the hook 57 is held in inoperative position, as above explained, the sewing mechanism, including the needle and loop bar, is operative in the usual manner to pro duce the above-described chain type of stitching. The hook device is actuated only when the first loop of stitching is formed, with the result of preventing the completion of the first stitch and of pulling the starting end ofthe thread through the pieces sewed together so that the starting end projects ,from the bottom side of the said pieces, all

as shown in Fig. 16. 1

. 'The mechanism for effecting operation of the hook device 57 is as follows: A springpressed plunger 83 is mountedon a bracket 84 which is supported by means of the main frame member 29. The spring-pressed plunger 88 is positioned on the bracket 84 so that it will be effective to engage the lower end of the lever 73 when. the sewing-machine head is fully retracted, that is, returned to its initial position. By an inspection of Figs. 3, 4:, and 5, it will be understood that when the lower end of the lever 7 8 is so engaged, the upper or bent end 7d of the lever will be swung against the tension of the spring 75 into alignment with the cam 75. Then when the sewing-machine mechanism is actuated to stitch the strips together the cam 75 upon the first oscillation of theshaft 51 and looper 50, will engage the bent end 74 of the lever 73 and thereby rock the arm 59 on its pivot. When the arm 59vis thus rocked, the hook 57 is swung outwardly. The hook is so adjusted relative to the looper 50 that when the hook is moved outwardly, the hook end 85 will catch one'side of the loop formed about the looper in the manner shown in Figs. 7 and 8. The loop formed in the thread is thus pulled out of normal position, so that when the needle is lowered the second time it will not pass through the loop and hence the first stitch is not completed. A guide piece 86 is provided for guiding the hook in its movement. v a

The hook 57 istemporarily maintained in out position, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, by means of a dog 87, which is pivoted as shown at 88 and which is adapted to hook over a finger part 89 of-the arm 59. The dog 87 is pivoted for movement between a springpressed plunger 90 carried by the bracket 91 carried by the said bracket, the said bracket being mounted on the frame bracket 84.

As clearly shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the finger 89 of the lever 59 will ride over the in clined upper end portion of the dog, forcing the spring-pressed plunger 90 rearwardly, until the finger 89 reaches a position in which the dog 87 is caused to snap over the outer end of the finger by the said spring-pressed plunger. The dog 87 is elongated as clearly shown in Figs. 3 to 5 inclusive, so that the arm 59 and hook 57 are retained in their out posi tion for a predetermined length of time dur ing which the sewing machine head is moving crosswise of the length of the strips in the operation of stitching the same together.

Because of the fact that the hook 57 is movedv transversely with the sewing-machine head, it will be understood that the hook will pull the loop caught thereby through the fabric through which it passes until the starting end of the thread is pulled completely through the fabric and projects from the bottom side thereof, as shown in Fig. 16.

In Figs. 14. and 15, I havediagrammatil.

cally illustrated the above-described opera tion. As shown in Fig. 14, the needle 52 has made its first descent through the edge of the ticking material strip 93, which, in this instance, constitutes part of the work. The I therethrough on its next stroke, and the hook 57 is shown in its out position, as in Figs. 7 and 8. It will be readily understood from an inspection of Fig. 15 that as the hook 537 is carried with the sewing-machine head across the width of the strips, the starting end side of the loop, i. e. the starting end portion 94 of the thread will be pulled through the edge of the strip of ticking until the entire start ing end portion projects from the bottom side of the work.

The extent of crosswise movement of the sewing machine mechanism is preferably such that a plurality of stitches will be formed on the outer edge of the strip of ticking in the manner shown in Fig. 16. The extra stitches indicated at 95 constitute what may be termed the chaining-off process and serve to prevent the line of stitching from being pulled out. When the reciprocating needle is stopped at the end of the line of stitching, i. e., at the completion of the chaining-olf process, the thread is drawn tight over the looper 50 and breaks somewhere in the portion about the looper50, often at the lower edge of the looper about which the thread forms a fairly sharp bend. The result is that the finishing end 96 of the thread projects downwardly through a loop so that if the said end is pulled, the effect will be to tie a knot in the thread and thereby to effectively prevent unravelling or pulling out of the line of stitching.

I am aware that although the various features herein described have been disclosed as parts of a quilting machine particularly adapted for the making of border strips, i. e., side portions, for mattress boxings, such features may be changed to suit other requirements and arranged in other combinations to produce other articles without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of which should be .determined by reference to the following claims, the same being construed as broadly as possible, consistent with the state of the art.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination, chain stitch sewing mechanism including a reciprocating needle, and oscillating looper, an oscillating hook,

means normally retaining said hook in sta tionary, inoperative position, cam means oscillated with said looper for moving said hook outwardly from its normal position when the first loop of a series of stitches is formed on said looper, said hook being operative to catch the-thread in said first loop and'to remove the same from said looper so as to prevent said needle from passing through such first formed loop.

2. In combination, chain stitch sewing mechanism including a reciprocating needle, an oscillating looper, an oscillating'hook, yielding means normally retaining said hook in stationary, inoperative position, cam

means oscillated with said looper for moving said hook outwardly from its normal position when the first loopof a series of stitches is formed on said looper, said hook being operative to catch the thread in said first loop and to remove the same from said looper to thereby prevent said needle from passing through such first formed loop, and means for temporarily retaining said hook in an outward position of adjustment whereby said hook is operative, as an incident to normal relative movement between the sewed material and the sewing mechanism to pull the starting end of the thread through said sewed material.

3. In combination, sewing mechanism of the chain stitch type including upper and lower mechanism supporting arms, a needle tar reciprocably mounted in said upper arm and having a needle secured to its lower end, an oscillating shaft carried by said lower arm, a looper secured to said shaft, a hook member pivotally mounted on said lower arm, yieldingly retained in inoperative position and adapted to be moved so as to catch the first formed loop of a series of stitches and to remove such loop from said looper, means on said shaft for effecting outward movement of said hook member thereby to pull said first formed loop to one side of its normal position, and means for retaining said hook member in an outwardly adjusted position while said looper is oscillated rearwardly to initial position preparatory to forming a second loop, whereby said first-formed loop is removed from said looper.

l. In combination, sewing mechanism of the chain stitch type including upper and lower mechanism supporting arms, a needle bar reciprocably mounted in said upper arm having a needle secured to its lower end, an oscillating shaft carried by said lower arm, a looper secured to said shaft, a hook member pivotally mounted on said lower arm, yieldingly retained in inoperative position and adapted to be moved so as to catch the first-formed loop of a series of stitches and to remove such loop from said looper, means on said shaft for effecting outward movement of said hook member thereby to pull said firstformed loop to one side of its normal position, and-means for retaining said hook member in an outwardly adjusted position while said looper is oscillated rearwardly to initial position preparatory to forming a second loop, whereby said first-formed loop is removed from said looper, said retaining means being effective to hold said hook in said outward position until the starting end of said thread is pulled through the sewed material as an incident to the normal relative movement between the sewed material and sewing mechanism.

5. In combination, chain stitch sewing mechanism including upper and lower. supporting arms, a needle bar reciprocably mounted on saidlupper arm and having a needle secured to'its lower end, an oscillating shaft carried by said lower arm, a looper mounted on said shaft'for oscillation therewith, a pivotally mounted hook, means carried by said oscillating shaft for actuating said hook, an adjustable member intermediate said means and said hook for controlling the actuation of said hook by said means, and means for controlling the position of adjustment of said member for causing said means to operate said hook in predetermined synchronism with the operation of said sewing mechanism. a

6. In combination, chain stitch sewing mechanism including upper and lower supportingarms,aneedlebarreciprocablymounted on said upperarm and having a needle secured to its lower end, an oscillating shaft carried by said lower arm, a looper mounted on said shaft for oscillation therewith, a pivotally mounted arm, a hook carried by said arm, yielding means for normally maintainingsaid arm andhook in inoperative position of pivotal adjustment, a cam mounted on said oscillating shaft, and means on said pivoted arm adapted to be engaged by'said cam whereby the latter is efi'ective to rock the arm and hook about the pivot of said arm, said hook being positioned relative to said looper so as to catch the thread looped about said looper and pull the loop to one side of its normal position whereby the loop is removed from said looper when the latter is oscillated'rearwardly to initial position preparatory to the formation of the next loop. I r

- 7. In combination, chain stitch sewing mechanism including upper and lower supporting arms, a needle bar reciprocably mounted on said upper arm and having a needle secured to its lower end, an oscillating shaft carried by said lower arm, a looper moiuited on said shaft for oscillation therewith, anpivoted arm, a hook normally disposed in inoperative position adjacent the path of said needle and looper, means for adjustably mounting said hook on said pivoted arm so as to permit adjustment of the hook relative to said needle and looper, yielding means for normally maintaining said arm and hook in inoperative position of pivotal adjustment, a cam mounted on said oscillating shaft, means on said pivoted arm adapted to be engaged by said cam whereby the'latter is effective to rock the arm and hook about the pivot of said arm, said hook being positioned relative to said looper so as to catch the thread looped about said looper and pull the loop to one side of its normal position whereby the loop is removed from said looper when the latter is oscillated rearwardly to initial position preparatory to the formation of the next loop.

8. In combination, sewing mechanism of to remove from said looper a loop of thread formed thereon, an arm pivotally mounted on said lower mechanism supporting arm, means for adjustably mounting said hook on said pivotally mounted arm, yielding means normally maintaining said pivoted arm and hook in stationary inoperative position, adj ustable means for permitting adjustment of the normal position of said pivoted arm and hook, a cam carried by said oscillating shaft, movable means carried by said pivoted arm, adapted to be engaged by said cam whereby the latter is effective to impart movement to said pivoted arm and hook for elfecting'removal of said loop from said looper, means normally maintaining said movable means out of the path of said cam, and means for moving said movable means intothe pathof said cam so that the latter imparts movement to said pivoted arm and hook when the first loopof a series of stitches in a line of stitching is formed. e

9. In combination, sewing mechanism of thechain stitch type,-adapted to'be reciprocated crosswise of the material to be sewed and including upper and lower mechanism supporting arms, a needle bar reciprocably mounted on said upper arm and having a needle secured toiits lower end, an oscillating shaft carried. by said lower arm, a looper secured to said shaft, a hook having a portion disposed adjacent the paths of said needle and looper and movable so as to be operative to remove from said looper a loop of thread, formed thereon, an arm pivotally mounted on said lower'mechanism supporting arm, means for adj ustably mounting said hook on said pivotally mounted arm, yielding means normally maintaining said pivoted arm and r I tiveto maintain said lever out ofthe path of saidcam, and an abutment engaging a part of said lever when'the sewing mechanism is reciproc'ated rearwardly to. initial position, thereby to move said" lever into the path of said cam so' that thelatter is operative to cause "said hook to i remove the first-formed loop of the next line of stitching fromsafid looper. a

10.In combination, sewing mechanism of the chain stitch type, adapted to be reciprocated crosswise of the material to be sewed and including upper and lower mechanism supporting arms, a needle bar reciprocably disposed adjacent the paths of said needle and looper and movable so as to remove from said looper a loop of thread formed thereon,

an arm pivotally mounted on said lower mechanism supporting arm, means for adjustably mounting said hook on said pivotally mounted arm, yielding means normally main taining said pivoted arm and hook in stationary inoperative position, means for efiecting adjustment of the normal position of said pivoted arm and hook, a cam carried by said oscillating shaft, a lever pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on said pivoted arm and having its upper end adapted to be engagedby said cam, spring means yieldingly maintaining the upper end portion of said lever out of the path of saidcam, and a yielding abutment adapted to engage the lower end of said lever when the sewing machine is reciprocated rearwardly to initial position, thereby to swing said lever on its pivot to move the upper end of said lever into the path of said cam whereby the latter is operative to actuate said hook when the first loop of a series of stitches is formed.

11. In combination, sewing mechanism of thechain stitch type, mounted so as to be reciprocable crosswise of the articles to be stitched, and including upper and lower mechanism supporting arms, a needle bar rcciprocably mounted on said upper arm and having a needle secured to its lower end, an oscillating shaft carried by said lower arm, a looper mounted on said shaft, a hook having a portion disposed adjacent the paths ofsaid needle and looper and adapted to be moved to an outward position-of adjustment so as to catcha loop of thread formed about said looper and remove such loop from the looper, a pivotally mounted arm, means for adjustably mounting said hook on said pivoted arm,

spring means connected between said pivoted arm and a part carried by said lower mechamachine isreciprocated rearwardly to initial position, whereby the cam is operative to ac-.

tuate said hook member when the first loop,

is formed about said looper, and means for temporarily locking said hook in said outward position of adjustment whereby the same is operative, as an incident to normal relative movement between the sewing machine and material sewed, to pull the starting end of the thread through the material so that said starting end projects from the. bottom side of the sewed material.

12. In combination, chain stitch sewing mechanism including a reciprocating needle and an oscillating looper normally operative to effect looping of the sewing thread, an automatically actuated hook member mov-c able relative to said looper for catching the thread in the firstformed loop ina series of stitches and operative to remove said first formed loop from said looper, means for holding said hook stationary with said loop so displaced whereby the normal relativefeed movement between said sewed material and the sewing mechanism causes the starting end of the sewing thread to be pulled around said hook and through the sewed material.

13. In combination, chain stitch sewing mechanism including a reciprocating needle and an oscillating looper normally operative to effect looping of the sewing thread, a hook member movable relative to said looper for catching the thread in the first formed loop and operative to remove said first formed loop from said looper, an operativeconnection between said looper and said hook for actuating the latter, and means for holding said hook stationary withjsaid loop so displaced whereby the normal relative feed movement between said sewed material and the sewingmechanism causes the starting end of the thread to be pulled around said hook andthrough the sewedmaterial.

Oct. 23,1929. JOHN F. GAIL.

nism supporting arm normally holding said hook member in stationary, inoperative position adjacent said paths, adjustable stop means for permitting adjustment of the normal position of said hook relative to said paths, a cam carried by said oscillatingshaft, a lever pivotally mounted on said pivoted arm and having aportion adapted to be engaged by said cam whereby the latter isoperative to actuate said hook member, spring means for normally maintaining said lever out of the path of'said cam, means for effecting alignment of said lever and cam when the sewing 

